Dona Ranasinghe - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Uploads
Papers by Dona Ranasinghe
An epidemiological survey on a population of 7,643 reveals a surprisingly high incidence of alcoh... more An epidemiological survey on a population of 7,643 reveals a surprisingly high incidence of alcoholism among males over the age of 25 years (29 per 1,000). Much the largest proportion of the sample professed faith in Buddhism, a religion which condemns alcohol use. Obligation to comply with religious teaching appears to apply only to females and the young. Ninety percent of the alcoholics were over the age of 35 years (mode 45-54 years), and all were spirit drinkers. None showed significant use of other drugs. Re-examination of the schedules showed a close correspondence between a diagnosis of'alcoholism', on a problem-based definition, and the presence of dependence.
An epidemiological survey on a population of 7,643 reveals a surprisingly high incidence of alcoh... more An epidemiological survey on a population of 7,643 reveals a surprisingly high incidence of alcoholism among males over the age of 25 years (29 per 1,000). Much the largest proportion of the sample professed faith in Buddhism, a religion which condemns alcohol use. Obligation to comply with religious teaching appears to apply only to females and the young. Ninety percent of the alcoholics were over the age of 35 years (mode 45-54 years), and all were spirit drinkers. None showed significant use of other drugs. Re-examination of the schedules showed a close correspondence between a diagnosis of'alcoholism', on a problem-based definition, and the presence of dependence.